PCL Announces All-Star Roster
The Pacific Coast League unveiled today its 2015 All-Star team, comprised of players from each of the 16 PCL clubs. The PCL All-Stars will take on the International League in the First National Bank Triple-A All-Star Game, set for Wednesday, July 15, at Werner Park in Omaha, Nebraska. The 28th annual matchup will be broadcast live on MLB Network, the American Forces Network, and the Triple-A All-Star Game Radio Network at 7:00 p.m. CST.
Omaha Storm Chasers manager Brian Poldberg will oversee the PCL All-Star club, which features 30 of the best players from across the league. Thirteen players were elected to the team by balloting of the club's field managers and general managers, members of the media, and online fan voting, while 17 were selected by the Pacific Coast League office.
The Oklahoma City Dodgers, who own the league's best record at 50-27, have two elected starters with catcher Austin Barnes and second baseman Darnell Sweeney. Barnes holds a .302 batting average in 2015, while Sweeney has swiped a league-best 25 bases. The Tacoma Rainiers will have multiple All-Star starters on the infield for the second-consecutive year, as Jesus Montero will man first base and Ketel Marte will play at shortstop. Montero is batting .314 with 13 home runs and Marte has a .343 average in 51 games. Jamie Romak will start at third base, while his Reno Aces teammate Peter O'Brien will be in the outfield. Romak currently leads the PCL with 152 total bases, while O'Brien's 15 home runs are tied for the third-most in the circuit. Also in the outfield with O'Brien will be L.J. Hoes from the Fresno Grizzlies and Matt McBride of the Albuquerque Isotopes. McBride's .347 batting average is the second-highest in the PCL, followed by Hoes' .338 clip at fourth. Cody Decker, who has hit 15 home runs this year, will be the PCL's designated hitter in Omaha, becoming the first El Paso Chihuahua to ever start an All-Star Game.
Adam Conley earns the nod as the PCL's starting pitcher, having compiled a 7-2 record and 2.52 ERA with New Orleans. This marks the second-straight year a Zephyr will start on the mound at the All-Star Game, after Elih Villanueva started last's year contest in Durham. Omaha's John Lamb, who leads the league with eight wins, was elected as the second starting pitcher, while the relief pitchers are Jon Edwards of the Round Rock Express and Sam Tuivailala from the Memphis Redbirds. Edwards ranks second in the PCL with 14 saves, while Tuivailala has converted 11 saves.
The selected reserve players include starting pitcher Anthony Ranaudo, reliever Jimmy Reyes, and catcher Tomas Telis, all representing Round Rock, infielder Matt Reynolds and outfielder Travis Taijeron from the Las Vegas 51s, and infielder Corey Seager and relief pitcher Ryan Buchter of Oklahoma City. Also earning All-Star selections are relief pitchers Louis Coleman of Omaha, Tyson Perez of Fresno, and Nick Wittgren from New Orleans; starting pitchers Tim Cooney from Memphis, Tyler Cravy of the Colorado Springs Sky Sox, and Forrest Snow of Tacoma; infielders Adam Duvall of the Sacramento River Cats, and Arismendy Alcantara from the Iowa Cubs. Salt Lake Bees catcher Jett Bandy and outfielder Jason Pridie of the Nashville Sounds round out the PCL All-Star team.
At the 2014 Triple-A All-Star Game in Durham, the International League defeated the PCL 7-3. The IL holds a 10-7 record against the PCL in the seventeen years since the event changed to the current IL vs. PCL format. The winning League will once again earn the right to have its champion play as the "home team" at the Gildan Triple-A National Championship Game, which will take place Tuesday, September 22, at Southwest University Park in El Paso, Texas.
PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE ALL-STAR TEAM
| CATCHERS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| NAME | POS | TEAM | MLB ORG |
| Austin Barnes | C | Oklahoma City | LAD |
| Tomas Telis | C | Round Round | TEX |
| Jett Bandy | C | Salt Lake | LAA |
| INFIELDERS | |||
| NAME | POS | TEAM | MLB ORG |
| Jesus Montero | 1B | Tacoma | SEA |
| Darnell Sweeney | 2B | Oklahoma City | LAD |
| Jamie Romak | 3B | Reno | ARI |
| Ketel Marte | SS | Tacoma | SEA |
| Adam Duvall | IF | Sacramento | SF |
| Arismendy Alcantara | IF | Iowa | CHC |
| Matt Reynolds | IF | Las Vegas | NYM |
| Corey Seager | IF | Oklahoma City | LAD |
| OUTFIELDERS | |||
| NAME | POS | TEAM | MLB ORG |
| Peter O'Brien | OF | Reno | ARI |
| L.J. Hoes | OF | Fresno | HOU |
| Matt McBride | OF | Albuquerque | COL |
| Jason Pridie | OF | Nashville | OAK |
| Travis Taijeron | OF | Las Vegas | NYM |
| DESIGNATED HITTER | |||
| NAME | POS | TEAM | MLB ORG |
| Cody Decker | DH | El Paso | SD |
| PITCHERS | |||
| NAME | POS | TEAM | MLB ORG |
| Adam Conley | LHP | New Orleans | MIA |
| John Lamb | LHP | Omaha | KC |
| Jon Edwards | RHP | Round Rock | TEX |
| Sam Tuivailala | RHP | Memphis | STL |
| Ryan Buchter | LHP | Oklahoma City | LAD |
| Louis Coleman | RHP | Omaha | KC |
| Tim Cooney | LHP | Memphis | STL |
| Tyler Cravy | RHP | Colorado Springs | MIL |
| Tyson Perez | RHP | Fresno | HOU |
| Anthony Ranaudo | RHP | Round Rock | TEX |
| Jimmy Reyes | LHP | Round Rock | TEX |
| Forrest Snow | RHP | Tacoma | SEA |
| Nick Wittgren | RHP | New Orleans | MIA |
| FIELD STAFF | |||
| NAME | POS | TEAM | MLB ORG |
| Brian Poldberg | Manager | Omaha | KC |
| Fred Dabney | Coach | Colorado Springs | MIL |
| Franklin Stubbs | Coach | Oklahoma City | LAD |
| Dave Iannicca | Trainer | Omaha | KC |